Kerala: John Abraham, a veterinarian, gets patent for biodiesel from chicken waste

A veterinary doctor-turned-inventor from Kerala, John Abraham, has finally received patent right for inventing biodiesel from slaughtered chicken waste. biodiesel will offer a mile of over 38 km a litre at around 40% of current price of diesel and lowers pollution by half. After seven-and-a-half years, Indian Patent Office finally granted patent on July 7, 2021, to John Abraham, an associate professor at veterinary college under Kerala Veterinary & Animal Sciences University.

Research conducted by John Abraham on biodiesel

During 2009-12, Abraham conducted research on producing biodiesel from chicken waste and de poultry birds at Namakkal Veterinary College under Tamil Nu Veterinary & Animal Sciences University. Under guidance of late Prof Ramesh Saravanakumar, he completed his research on biodiesel. Abraham said that Prof Ramesh h filed for patent in 2014 on behalf of university. Unfortunately, patent got delay as permission from National Biodiversity Authority was needed because key raw material going into patented invention was a biological material locally sourced. After his research, Abraham also received a quality certificate from Bharat Petroleum's Kochi Refinery in April 2015 for inventing biodiesel from chicken waste.

Why Abraham used chicken waste only?

When asked about use of chicken waste, Abraham replied that birds and pigs have a single stomach which offers higher fat saturation and this is easy to render oil under room temperature. Furr, he stated that chicken waste is much cheaper and easily available and it also increases engine efficiency due to presence of more oxygen. w, Abraham along with his three students is also working on invention of biodiesel from pig waste. In dition, his biodiesel can be blended at a ratio of 80:20 for old diesel engines, while for new CDREi engines, it is reverse- 20:80.

Abraham and Hindustan Petroleum would also meet Tamil Nu veterinary university for commercialization of this invention. On commercial production of biodiesel, Abraham said that 2019 biofuel policy removes licenses for producing and selling such fuels. He answered that business is t his forte but research, however, he would be happy to draw a royalty from license holder.

Abraham said, "I don't want to leave job but pursue more research and we (two students from Kerala and a third one coming in from Cameroon) are alrey into inventing diesel from pig waste. I am rey to sell patent for a one-time payment or an annual royalty."

(With PTI inputs)

(IM: PIXABAY/PTI)